PRIVATE HOTEL DEAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 116, 13 November 1919, Page 10

PRIVATE HOTEL DEAL

PLAINTIFF RECOVERS DEPOSIT.

A claim for the return of a deposit paid on agreement to purchase a private hotel was heard by his Honour Mr. Justice Edwards and a jury of four yesterday in the Supreme Court. Frederick Broughton Brough, of Petone, was the plaintiff in the action, and R. Skilling, of Wellington, the defendant, both parties being private ho.telkeepers by occupation. ;i Mr. T. Weave appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. T. C. Hislop for the defendant. The property in question was the Rutland Private Hotel, Plimmer's Steps, and the price was £2875 for the defendant's interest in the lease and the business as a going concern. The allegation was that the defendant's agent, 1T.,-J. Fanning, land, agent, represented the lease as containing no provision imposing on the lessee any obligation to paint and varni6h the premises. The lease was found to contain such obligation. The plaintiff had paid £250 as deposit. After hearing the evidence of seven witnesses, four for the plaintiff and'three for the defendant, ,^he jury found a verdict for the plaintiff. His Honour entered judgment accordingly with costs according to scale.